Sad news: Jim Ryder has died

Jim Ryder, a longtime Aurora Avenue resident who was active in neighborhood improvement efforts, died March 28 at age 72.  A memorial gathering is planned April 22, 12:30 p.m. until 2 p.m., at the Carnegie Center for Literacy & Learning, 251 W. Second St. Condolences to Sarah and their family.  Click here to read the full obituary on Kentucky.com.

 

 

Thanks for a great Easter egg hunt!

Thanks to all of the children, parents, grandparents and neighbors who came out for today’s Mentelle neighborhood Easter Egg hunt.  Neighbors donated more than 700 eggs, which were hidden on the Mentelle Park median — and collected by excited children within a matter of minutes. Still, there was plenty of time for visiting and enjoying coffee and Spalding’s donuts. Special thanks go to organizers Kim Naujokas and Katie Mueller, as well as to the Easter Bunny and his chaperone and driver, Chad Walker. Here are some photos from the event:

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

 

 

Mentelle Easter egg hunt is tomorrow!

We look forward to seeing all Mentelle Neighborhood residents and their families tomorrow at 10 a.m. for our annual Easter Egg Hunt. Thanks to the generosity of our neighbors, we have plenty of eggs for another wonderful hunt this year!
We will gather in between the two medians closest to Cramer Avenue. Kids aged 5-10 will hunt on the first median (closest to Cramer) and those younger than 5 will hunt on the second median. The Easter Bunny will be with us for photos from 9:45 – 10:30 a.m. Complimentary coffee and Spalding’s Bakery donuts will be available.

See you at the hunt!

Giving eggs for the hunt? Hop to it!

Our annual Easter Egg Hunt is right around the corner! If you wish to donate plastic eggs — preferably filled with a piece of wrapped candy — for the Mentelle Easter Egg Hunt on Saturday, April 8, please bring them to the porch of 29 Mentelle Park. Donations will be accepted until Friday, April 7. We would love to have at least 400 eggs to make this a fun and memorable event for our neighborhood’s children.

And this year the Easter Bunny will make an appearance! Thanks to Chad Walker of the Warehouse District and Eklektic Alchemy in Winchester, the Easter Bunny will be available for photos starting at 9:45 am. The hunt will begin at 10 a.m. on the Mentelle Park medians near Cramer Avenue. There will be two hunts — one for little kids through age 4 and one for bigger kids between ages 5-10.  Bigger kids will hunt on the median closest to Cramer and the little ones will hunt on the second median.

No small children in your household? No problem! We hope that all Mentelle Neighborhood residents will come out to socialize with your neighbors and celebrate the beginning of spring. Complimentary coffee will be available as well as delicious donuts from Spalding’s Bakery.

We hope to see all Mentelle Neighborhood residents there!

Reminder: ‘smart growth’ talk today

A reminder that the Fayette Alliance, a local non-profit organization focused on “smart growth” and rural land preservation in Lexington, is inviting Mentelle neighborhood residents to a “happy hour” discussion about local growth and development issues and the city’s upcoming Comprehensive Plan discussions. The event begins at 5:30 p.m. today at the new Myriad Meadery, 732 National Ave.

Mentelle Easter Egg Hunt is April 8

Please join us for our annual Easter Egg Hunt on Saturday, April 8, at 10 a.m. on the Mentelle Park medians near Cramer Avenue. The egg hunts — one for little kids up to age 4 and one for bigger kids between ages 5 – 10 — begin at 10 a.m. Bigger kids will hunt on the median closest to Cramer and the little ones will hunt on the second median.

No small children in your household? No problem! We hope that all Mentelle Neighborhood residents will come out to socialize with your neighbors and celebrate the beginning of spring. Complimentary coffee will be available as well as delicious Spalding’s Bakery donuts.

Donations of eggs are gladly accepted! If you would like to contribute to the event, please bring plastic eggs (preferably filled with a piece of wrapped candy) in a bag to the porch of 29 Mentelle Park no later than Friday, April 7. We would love to have at least 400 eggs to make this a truly fun and special event for the children of the neighborhood.

We hope to see all Mentelle Neighborhood residents there!

Apartments planned along Midland

Conceptual rending for Midland Avenue apartments project.

A development group headed by Scott Shapiro, a South Hanover Avenue resident who was an aide to former Mayor Jim Gray, made a presentation to the Mentelle Neighborhood Association board last Wednesday. The group has purchased the stone yard along Midland Avenue and will soon seek rezoning to develop 180 market-rate apartments aimed at young professionals. The board was favorably impressed by the project.

The apartments would be in two five-story buildings on the site with 210 parking spaces and about 2,000 square feet of first-floor retail space. The main entrance would be on Midland with a secondary entrance on Owen Avenue, the small piece of a street beside the “flat iron” building.

Click here for more information about the project prepared by the developers.

Click here for more information about the city’s planning and zoning process, schedules of meetings, etc.

 

‘Smart growth’ happy hour March 27

The Fayette Alliance, a local non-profit organization focused on “smart growth” and rural land preservation in Lexington, is inviting Mentelle neighborhood residents to a “happy hour” discussion about local growth and development issues and the city’s upcoming Comprehensive Plan discussions. The event begins at 5:30 p.m. Monday, March 27, at the new Myriad Meadery, 732 National Ave.